Medicated liquid dispensing apparatus for poultry and the like



United States Patent Inventor Perry Mal'tin Primary Examiner-Stanley H. Tollberg a Virginia 22801 Attorney-Necho and Kimmelman Annie S. Martln, John R. Martin, and Mary M. King, executors and adimistrator c.t.a. of aid ABSTRACT: A medicated liquid dispensing apparatus includ Perry S. Martin, deceased ing a rotating combined mixing and metering wheel assembly [2'] APPL 738,378 which comprises a number of liquid receiving cells, or [22] Filed June 14, 1968 buckets, disposed clrcumferentially around, and carried by, a l 45] Paemed Nov. 24, 1970 central perforated tubular shaft. The shaft has a tubular extension on which a dipper is mounted at right angles to the axis of the tubular shaft. The interior of the dipper communicates [54] MEDICATED LIQUID DISPENSING APPARATUS with the interior of the shaft through said extension. A con- FOR POULTRY AND THE LIKE trolled valve is automatically opened to deliver enough water 13 Claims, 19 Drawing pigs. to a cell on the wheel to cause the wheel to rotate until the water in the cell referred to is emptied into a basin below the [52] US. Cl 222/133 wheel Liquid delivered to the next cell, or bucket will again [51] 'f Cl 367d 5/60 cause the wheel to rotate until the water of the second bucket [50] held M Search 222/129 is emptied into said basin, and so on. For rotation of the wheel, 367; 1331 103/85 86 the dipper dips into a reservoir of medication, or other addi tive li uid, and delivers the additive li uid throu h said hollow [56] References Cited extension and said hollow shaft, into said basis. This means UNITED STATES PATENTS that the mixture will always consist of the content of the 3,224,635 12/1965 Rivera 222/36 dipper and the contents of all of the cells or buckets on the 3,346,144 10/1967 Hings 103/85 wheel.

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Patented Nov. 24, 1970 Sheet 1 of 6 S. MARTIN PERRY Patented Nov. 24, 1970 Sheet N mm MA M w. 5 Y R R E P Patented Nov 24, 1970 3,542,249

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Sheet 6 of6 l/VVE/W'OP. PERRY 5. MARTIN DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART A number of devices are known to the agricultural industry for automatically supplying water to poultry, livestock, or the like. Some of those devices have provision for automatically adding a predetermined amount of an additive such as vitamins, or medicines, etc. Some of these devices employ close-fitting moving parts which become coated with minerals or other substances from the liquids they dispensed, thereby causing inaccuracies in the metering, or total failure, and requiring maintenance. Still other devices were so assembled that inspection, maintenance, cleaning, very were very difficult or complicated and required a considerable amount of mechanical ability on the part of the owner.

THE INVENTION which is actuated by floats and weights and which assures a constantsupply of water which has aconstant water-medicine ratio, regardless of the rate of consumption of the mixture.

IN THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an external perspective view of the apparatus.

FIG. 2 is a schematic drawing of the main working parts inside the apparatus shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of some of the major components of the apparatus shown schematically in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a plan sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG, 1 taken along the section line 4-4 thereof.

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the apparatus shown in FIG. 4 taken along the section line 55, therein.

FIG. 6 is a view ofone side ofthe paddle wheel" part ofthe apparatus shown in FIG. 5 as viewed along the line 6-6 therein. I

FIG. 7 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the section line 7-7 in FIG. 11.

FIG. 8 is an enlarged detailed sectional view of part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 7 taken along the section line 8-8.

FIG. 9 is a sectional view taken along the section line 9-9 of FIG. 5.

FIG. 10 is a sectional view of a part of the apparatus shown in FIG. 7 taken along the section line 10-10.

FIG. 11 is a sectional view taken along the section line 11-11 in FIG. 5 in the direction indicated.

FIG. 12 is a perspective view of the intermediate mixing basin shown in FIGS. 2, 3 and 5. I

FIG. 13 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of part of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 9.

FIG. 14 is a sectional view taken along'the section line l4-14 ofFlG.5.

FIG. 15 is an exploded perspective view of part of the mechanism shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 14.

FIG. 16 is a sectional view taken along the section line 16-16 of FIG. 14 in the direction indicated.

FIG. 17 is a sectional view taken along the sectional line 1717ofFlG. 5.

FIG. 18 is a fragmentary perspective view of part of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 14.

FIG. 19 is an exploded perspective view of part of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 4, 5, and 17.

FIGURES 1,2 AND 3 EXPLAINED rically 'municating tubular portion 33 and out of the which dip a certain measured amount of the liquid from a dipper tank and combine it with a predetermined volume of water or other liquid entering the housing 28 through inlet pipe 31. After the proper amount of medicine has been mixed with the water, the mixture is pumped out of the housing 28 via outlet pipe 31a.

The operation of the overall unit now will be considered in somewhat more detail in connection with the schematic diagram of FIG. 2 and the perspective view of FIG. 3. A container 22 of a liquid, such as a feeding or medicinal additive, is in verted with its mouth in a reservoir 24. The medicine 23 flows out of the container 24 into the reservoir and is held at a constant level by the conventional air-lock control. The medicine passes through port 25 into a dipper tank 26 which has a semicylindrical shape. A dipper 27 is mounted at the end ofa hollow shaft 29 which is joined to another hollow shaft 33 which passes through the axis of a rotating water mixing and metering bucket-wheel assembly 34. The medicine is scooped up during each revolution of assembly 34 by the cup or dipper 27 and drains out of the hollow shaft 33 via one of two diametdisposed ports 36 into an intermediate mixing and agitating basin 38 having one end wall 380 lower than the opposite end wall 38b.

While the medicine is entering the intermediate tank 38, water is being dispensed to the assembly 34 from inlet pipe 31 via valve 70 into receiving basin 46. The rate at which the water flows to basin 46 from input pipe 31 is controlled by the valve 70 which responds to the vertical position of float 77 that is immersed inthe mixture in the tank 40. Basin 46 has a plurality of apertures 46a disposed over the metering assembly 34. the water drops through the apertures into the one of the various cells 37 of the assembly 34 which lies directly below the apertures 46a. As the water collects in the cell then disposed beneath the apertures 46, its accumulated weight will cause the assembly 34 to rotate gradually clockwise as seen in FIG. 3. Movement of assembly 34 imparts corresponding movement to the shaft 33 and to the dipper 27 so that the medicine within the dipper tank 25 will enter the dipper 27.

When sufficient water has entered the cell 37 in which the At the same time, of course, the medicine within the cup 27 is flowing down through. the hollow shaft portion 29, the comlatter through the ports 36 to the right side of the assembly 34 into the basin 38. The movement of the extensions 39 of the walls of cells 37 through the liquid collected in the mixing basin 38 agitates the liquid-and insures a uniform mixture. Eventually, excess liquid in the basin 38 will flow over the end wall 38a into the main tank 40 whence it is pumped out by pump 42 via outlet pipe 31a to the utilization point such as a stock-watering trough. The valve 93 opens to allow some of the mixture being pumped by pump 42 to recirculate into the main tank whenever the liquid level in tank 38 falls below a predetermined point so as to prevent the pump 42 from going dry with a consequent loss of its prime and other possible damage.

MEDICINE SUPPLY AND DISPENSING SUBASSEMBLY.

Reference is made particularly to FIGS. 5--12. The con tainer 22, which may be a carboy of medicine, vitamins, or other drinking water supplement, is inverted with its open end in the reservoir 24. The neck of the bottle fits through an aperture 24b in the lid 24a of the reservoir. An air-lock valve cap 22 is screwed over the mouth of the bottle and contains a plunger 22b which is weight-loaded and actuates a seal that enables medicine to leave the bottle 22 when the plunger is pushed up as it comes in contact with the bottom of the reservoir 24. When the medicine level in the reservoir rises to the level of the discharge pip'e 22c, the latter is sealed by the liquid level so that air cannot enter the pipe 220 and a correct level is thereafter automatically maintained in the reservoir 24. A drain 24c is provided for cleaning the reservoir when desired.

An overflow pipe 24d is provided so that over-medication cannot occur.

The medicine flows through the port 25 into the dipper tank 26. The water-dispensing paddle wheel assembly 34 is mounted upon the axial hollow shaft 33 whose left end rests upon a nylon oil-less bearing 35 which is attached to transverse supporting beam 41 which is attached to the two opposite side walls 28a and 28b of the housing 28. The shaft 23 is supported at the right on a similar nylon oil-less bearing 43 that is bolted or otherwise attached to the transverse beam 45 which is likewise attached to the vertical walls 28a and 28b. Flanged bushings 47 and 48 are fitted around opposite ends of the shaft 33 to prevent axial movement of the shaft on the bearings. A plug 49 is fitted into the left end of the tubular shaft 33 to prevent escape of the medicine other than through the medicine dispensing ports 36. Toward the right end of the shaft 33 there is affixed an elbow 50 which is secured by thumb screw 62 engaging a hole in shaft 33. To elbow 50 is also secured pipe segment 29 that is communicatingly connected to the dipper 27. Consequently, when the dipper 27 is in the proper upright position, its contents flow through the junction box 50 into the hollow'shaft 33 for exit therefrom via dispensing ports 36. To assure even rotary movement of the assembly 34, an L-shaped piece of solid or hollow tubing 51 is also attached to the joint 50 opposite segment 29 as a counter weight.

Paddle wheel assembly 34 is so disposed so that its lower part is immersed in the liquid contained in the intermediate basin 38 as shown in H0. 11. The basin itself is illustrated in FIG. 12 as being suspended by a number of hanging brackets 52 attached to wall 38a from transverse beam 41 and by two hanging brackets 53 attached to wall 38b which rest on transverse beam 45. It also includes a baffle 38caffixed to the bottom 38d for stabilizing the paddle wheel assembly against the backlash of the water when it has just been spilled from one of the cells. A partition member 382 is fixed to the wall 38b. The medicine drips through'the ports 36 and falls between the partition 38c and the wall 38b.

. PADDLE WHEEL ROTATlON COUNTER This subassembly will be explained, especially in connection with FIGS. 4, 5, 9, and 13. ln order to keep track of the amount of the mixture passing through the dispensing apparatus 20, a counter 54 is provided which is mounted upon a shelf 55 that is fixed at two edges to the walls 28b and 28d. The operating lever 56 has its left end pivoted and connected to a rod 57 whose lower end passes through and is fixed to a spring-retaining cup-shaped nut 57a. The lower end of rod 57 also passes through a spring 63 and an aperture in tripping arm 59. The end of the rod 57 is secured by a nut. Arm 59 has one end pivoted within a bracket 60 that is affixed to the inside surface of the wall member 28b. The other end of the tripping arm 59 includes a plate 61 connected on the upper surface thereof and disposed in the rotary path of the single lug 34c projecting outwardly from the right disc portion 34b of the paddle wheel assembly 34. The lower end of the arm 59 rests upon the supporting plate 43a which is screwed to the top of the oil-less bearing 43. When the lug 34c moves counterclockwise, it elevates the tripping plate 61, the arm 59, and causes the spring to move upward into the cup 57a so that the rod 57 and the operating lever 56 are correspondingly elevated so as to cause the counter 54 to advance by one digit. After the lug has passed the tripping plate 61, the weight of the tripping arm 59 assisted by the decompressive restoring force of the spring 53 and the other weight upon the arm 59 causes it to come to rest again on the plate 430.

INLET WATER VALVE CONTROL Referring to F108. 4, 5 and l7, 19, it will be seen that means are provided for insuring that the proper amount of water is supplied through inlet pipe 31 to the water receiving trough or basin 46. Pipe 31 passes through an aperture in the wall 28a and a valve is connected at the inner end thereof. The valve 70 has an operating arm 70a which is connected by spring 72 to a rod 73 that passes through an aperture in rocker arm 75, the other end of the rod being secured by a nut 730 or equivalent. The left end of the arm 75 has a narrower rightangle bent portion 75b which fits over the edge of a cutout portion 76a of a pivot box 76 that is fastened to the inner surface of wall 280. When the operating arm 70a is in the down position as shown in H0. 17, the valve is on, lt will be in the down position when the float 77, which floats on the watermedicine mixture at the bottom of the main tank 40, goes down a predetermined distance in response to the demand for the mixture..A vertical member 71 is fixed to the side 28b opposite a corresponding member (not shown) fixed to side 28a for guiding the vertical movement of the float 77. The action of the valve 70 is made to be essentially a snap-action toggle type of action. This toggle action is achieved by the cooperation of valve 70, the rocker arm 75, and the weighted rollerrocker subassembly 80.

When the water-medicine mixture in the main tank 40 is high, the rocker 75 is forced by the action of float 77 to be in a more counterclockwise position than is shown in FIG. 17. The right end of arm 75, includes a friction-reducing plastic tab 75a which can rest on top ofthe roller 81 as shown in phantom lines in FIG. 17, in which position the valve 70 is closed. A rod 78 links the float 77 to the rocker arm 75, the rod passing through an aperture in the arm and being secured at its top side by an inverted acorn nut 79. That nut is spaced from another acorn nut 74 fixed to the rod below the lever 75. (FIGS. 4 and 17) The rocker-roller assembly 80 comprises two parallel rollerholding straps 80a and 80b between which the roller 81 is mounted. A third strap 800 is welded to a portion of strap 80a and to strap 80b and the assembly 80 is disposed pivotably between two upright L-shaped mounting members 83 and 84. A pivot pin 85 passes through the aligned apertured in the members 83 and 84 and in the alined apertures in the straps 80a and 80b, the left side of the pin being secured by a cotter pin 87. The mounting members 83 and 84 are welded to a bracket 88 having one end welded to the interior surface of the wall 28c. The bracket 88 also includes an adjustable set screw 89 to regulate the maximum counterclockwise motion of the assembly 80. A weight 90 is attached by a free-hanging rod 91 to an aperture in the member 800.

As stated before, when the float 77 is riding high because of an adequate supply of the water-medicine mixture in the tank 40, the plastic tip 75a will rest atop the roller 81 as shown in phantom in FIG. 17. With the arm 75 in its upper position, the valve 70 will be turned off and no new water will be added to the receiving trough 46. As the water-medicine mixture begins to decrease, the float 77 will move downward and the arm 75 will exert more downward pressure on top of the roller 81. However, for a while the weight 90 will tend to keep the rocker'roller assembly 80 in its most counterclockwise position. Only when the water-medicine mixture in the tank has decreased beyond a certain level will the weight exerted by the float on the rocker arm 75 cause the latter to exert such downward pressure on the top of the roller 81 that the subassembly 80 will instantaneously pivot to its most clockwise position as shown in solid'lines in FIG. 17, whereupon the arm 75 will drop below the roller 81 and the operating arm 70a will be moved downward by the action of the intermediate linkage 72 and 73 thereby turning on the valve 70 to enable the receiving trough 46 to receive water from inlet pipe 31. The reverse process takes place when the tank 40 begins to fill again, whereupon float 77 rides up, the arm 75 moves up past the roller 81 forcing the subassembly to pivotclockwise momentarily followed by an immediate counterclockwise return, whereupon the arm will rest again atop roller 81.

PADDLE WHEEL DETENT OPERATION Referring now to FIGS. 4, 5,11, l4, l5, l6, and 18, the operution'of the paddle wheel 34 in responseto the application to it of a predetermined weight of water will now be explained in some detail. It will be seen by reference to FIG. 3 that the water passing through the apertures 46a of the receiving basin 46 will drop down into the one of the cells 37 which is immediately under the apertures 46a. However, in order to make sure that one of the cells 37 is positioned properly to receive the water, it is necessary to stabilize the paddle wheel assembly 34 into one of six possible rotary positions. This is accomplished by means of a plurality of lugs 34d which project outwardly-from the disc portion 340. There are six of these lugs of detents 34d, one for each of the cells 37. At any time, one of these lugs 34d presses against a friction reducing plastic tab 66 which is mounted to a subassembly 67 that is attached to an elongated assembly 68. The subassembly 67 is Y mounted to the subassembly 68 by means of a pivot pin 69 that passes through an aperture 67e in the subassembly part 670 and through an aperture 68a in a member affixed to the subassembly 68. The subassembly 68 has its right end mounted pivotably in a bracket 69a which is screwed to the wall 28b. The other end of the subassembly 68 has attached to it an L-shaped member 68b which has an adjustable set screw 68c mounted therein. The bottom of the set screw 68e rests upon another L-shaped tab 46!; which is attached to the outside of the wall of water-receiving basin 46.

The subassembly 67 consists of vertical portion 67a, 67b

which is a horizontal member fixed to 67a, and extending.

laterally into fixed contact with an L-shaped portion 670. The latter has a set screw 67:! mounted therein, the head of the screw resting upon an L-shaped member 68d that is fixed to the member 68c.

in operation, the paddle wheel assembly 34 moves counterclockwise as shown in FIG. 18 under the weight of the water applied to the one of its cells 37 under the apertures 46a. One

of the lugs 34d is moved into contact with the friction reducing plastic tab 66 and tends to urge the subassembly 67 to pivot in a clockwise direction ('as seen in FIG. 14). However, not until the weight of the water in the-then receiving cell is sufficient to cause the assembly 34 to have enough torque to cause the subassembly 67 to pivot clockwise to its fullest extent, will the paddle wheel assembly rotate to its next detended position. Thus, it is the weight of the water producing a turning movement on the paddle wheel assembly which is responsible for the metering of the water into the intermediate mixing basin 38. As soon as the paddle wheel assembly has succeeded in causing full rotation of the pivoting subassembly 67, the latter falls back to its normal position and its strip 66 prevents the next lug 34d from moving past it until sufficient water is received in the next receiving cell. If desired, weights such as washers 67f may be attached to the screw 67c on part 67c to vary the amount of water which can cause the paddle wheel assembly to rotate to the next detent position. (FIGS. and 16) The metering action can also be modified by adjusting the set screw 68c which will cause the subassembly 68 to have its angle changed with reference to the height of the tab 66. Changing of the angle of the subassembly 68 changes the bite" of the strip 66 exposed to the edge of the lug 34d. (FIG. 14)

Still another way of altering the metering operation is by adjustment of the set screw 67d which changes the angle of the rest of the subassembly 67 on the subassembly 68. Hence the amount of pressure required on the plastic tab 66 to pivot the subassembly 67 the requisite amount is likewise changed. The operation of the water inlet metering system can be modified or controlled in a number of ways, e.g., changing the weight 90, changing the position of the stop screw 89, or changing the protrusion of the friction reducing plastic tip 75a.

MIXTURE PUMP-OUT ASSEMBLY ln the embodiment illustrated, a submersible pump 42 is placed near the bottom of tank 40. This pump operates to pump the mixture out of the apparatus via outlet pipe 31a. Pump 42 includes an inlet tube 42a which draws the watermedicine mixture from near the bottom of the main tank. lt is within the scope of the invention to'place a pump outside the tank and to connect it to the tank with pieces of hose. ln order to prevent the pump 42 from completely emptying the tank when the water-medicine level drops very low, a recirculating valve 93 is provided having an operating arm 930 connected by rigid member 94 to a float 95. When the water level in the main tank drops too low, float 95 goes downward causing the arm 93a to be moved to the left somewhat, which opens valve 93 and prevents the possibility of operation of the pump 42 without liquid therein. Should this occur, the pump would lose its prime", become air-locked, and the life of the pum would be shortened. When the pump is operating, a small amount of the water being pumped up toward outlet 310 will be returned continuously to the main tank 40 through a recirculating pipe 97 that is connected to the pump output tube 96 to prevent the pump from operating without liquid. As a.

result, the pump keeps operating but all of the water-medicine mixture is never pumped out ofthe tank 40.

lt is claimed:

1. A device for dispensing a first and a second liquid, said device comprising:

a rotary means having a plurality of compartments for receiving, in sequence, a predetermined quantity of said first liquid and rotating in response thereto;

detent means restraining said rotary means and permitting rotation thereof only when said predetermined amounts of said first liquid have been received in said compartments;

said rotary means further including dipping means for collecting a predetermined amount of said second liquid from a body thereof during said rotation;

means for discharging said liquids in response to said rotation; and

receiving means disposed near said rotary means for receiving the discharged liquids.

2. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein said rotary means rotates one complete revolution in a plurality of stepped movements, wherein a predetermined amount of said firstv liquid is discharged at each stepped movement, and wherein said predetermined quantity of said second liquid is dipped and discharged from said rotary means during the course of each complete revolution thereof.

3. The dispensing device according to claim 1, wherein at least part of said rotary means is immersed in the first and second substances which have been discharged into said of projections extending laterally therefrom, wherein said detent means is pivoted and engages one of said projections while one of said compartments receives said first liquid, said detent means restraining said paddle wheel subassembly from rotary movement until said one compartment has received said predetermined amount of first liquid whereupon the torque exerted by said paddle wheel subassembly causes said detent means momentarily to pivot whereupon said engaged one of said projections is disengaged and said subassembly then rotates until the next one of said projections is engaged by said pivotable detent means.

5. The device according to claim 4, wherein said dipping means for said predetermined amount of said second liquid includes an apertured hollow shaft mounted laterally in said paddle wheel subassembly, a tubular member connected at an angle to said hollow shaft and communicating interiorly therewith, said dipper being mounted at the end of said tubular member and having an aperture therein which communicates with the interior of said tubular member.

6. The device according to claim and an overflowing basin positioned below said paddle wheel subassembly into which the latter extends.

7 The device according to claim I with the addition of means for controlling the amount of said first liquid applied to said rotary means as a function of the quantity of said first and second liquids in said receiving means.

8. The device according to claim 7, wherein said controlling means which controls the application of said first liquid to said rotary means either operates to allow flow of said first liquid at a fixed predetermined rate or to cut off said flow entirely.

9. The device according to claim 7. wherein said receiving means is disposed below said rotary means and is an intermediate overflow mixing basin for said discharged first and second liquids, wherein a main tank is provided below said overflow mixing basin, and wherein a pump is disposed in said main tank to pump offsaid mixed liquids to the utilization point.

10. The device according to claim 9. with the addition of a pan to which said first liquid is initially applied, said pan being disposed over said rotary means and having at least one aperture therein through which said first liquid flows into said rotary means.

11. Apparatus for mixing a first liquid with a second liquid in a determined proportion and for dispensing the mixed liquids, said apparatus including:

a. main tank for storing the mixed liquids;

b. a reservoir for said first liquid;

c. a mixing tank above said main tank;

d. a rotary bucket wheel;

e. a plurality of second liquid receiving buckets disposed about the circumference of said wheel;

f. a rotary shaft supporting said wheel;

g. a receiver for said second liquid disposed above said wheel and emptying into the one of said buckets therebelow;

h. a valve connected to a source of said second liquid and disposed to discharge into said receiver;

i. means for intermittently opening said valve to discharge a predetermined quantity of second liquid into said receiver;

j. the weight of said second quantity of liquid in said receiver being sufficient to rotate the bucket wheel far enough to discharge the liquid in said one bucket into said mixing tank;

k. a dipper carried by said shaft and immersible in said reservoir once for every revolution of said wheel; and

1. means connecting said dipper in flow relation with said mixing tank whereby a dipperful of said first liquid will be delivered to the mixing tank for every complete revolution of the wheel.

12. The apparatus defined in claim ll and means for resisting rotation of the wheel in the absence of said predetermined quantity of second liquid in one ofthe buckets on the wheel.

13. The apparatus defined in claim H and means for abruptly fully opening and abruptly fully closing said valve. 

